When the Son of Man comes, will he find faith on earth? That is pertinent question for us to reflect on this World Mission Sunday
It is a question the Apostles certainly took seriously, including our very own Saint Thomas.
When we think of the Acts of the Apostles, of course we think of the missionary acts of Paul. Paul was the first apostle to evangelize into Europe. In Rome, Peter and Paul established the Roman Catholic Church and planted the seeds of the beautiful Latin Liturgical Rite that we are privileged to be part of today.
But consider Thomas. In his missionary zeal, Saint Thomas traveled further away from Jerusalem than any other Apostle. I recently read that Thomas traveled nearly 4,000 miles the other direction, ending up in Father Tomy’s backyard in southern India.
Thomas established what would become the Syro Catholic Churches of the Syriac Liturgical Rite. It too is a beautiful liturgy, culturally distinct from our own, with its own rich history. I’ll try to come back for the Feast of Saint Thomas sometime in order to talk more about the adventures of Thomas and the Syro Catholic Churches that claim his Apostolic pedigree.
It is this missionary zeal demonstrated by Thomas that we are to not only celebrate today on World Mission Sunday, but we are also invited to find inspiration in as we discern how we are being called by God to participate in true missionary discipleship. To discern how we participate in the great commission given to us by our Blessed Lord. To discern what can we do to help ensure there is a good answer to the question, when the Son of Man comes, will he find faith on earth?
Let’s face it, the answer to that question is an increasingly hard “no”. Particularly since the protestant reformation, there has been a continually widening gap between what society wants to believe compared to the actual Truth. Sadly, that gap continues to widen with each subsequent generation. As each generation grows further from the Truth, an increasing number of people get to the point where they can no longer recognize the Truth, even when it is plainly in front of them. I know each of you know what I am talking about, I’m sure you see it everyday, just as I do.
Fortunately, for you and for me, we have the Catholic Church, the pillar and foundation of Truth as exclaimed by Saint Paul in 1Timothy 3:15. If we diligently follow the teachings of the Catholic Church and diligently live the Sacramental life Jesus established in the Catholic Church, then we are securely anchored to the Truth…the Truth that the rest of society is desperately in need of.
Thomas was given this Truth, and he carried it out into the world around him. Our role as missionary disciples is not all that different. First, we listen to the Church to hear the verbal Truth (just as Jesus said to in Matthew 18:17). Second, we receive the Truth sacramentally through the Eucharist. We allow the Truth to truly transform us. Then we share that Truth with others. Over time, we bring others to the Church and to the Eucharist that they may receive the same divine transformation of Love.
Fortunately, we are not asked to travel nearly 4,000 miles to accomplish this as Thomas did. But, it does mean we may need to at times step outside of our comfort zone. But rest assured, Thomas was successful because he had the Truth of the Catholic faith and he was fortified by the Sacraments instituted by Jesus Christ. You have the same faith and you have the same Sacraments.
What are some practical things you can do to become a missionary disciple?
First, I encourage you to join me in supporting world missions. Whether you make your donation through the parish, or directly to the mission organizations, this money goes straight to missions at work around the world. These missionaries are like Saint Thomas in that they have traveled around the world, spreading the Gospel into new places. By financially supporting the missions you can be a missionary disciple vicariously through their efforts to help ensure there is indeed faith on earth when the Son of Man returns.
That said, our faith is intended to be an active faith, not simply a passive faith.
Start with the basics. Nurture and develop your faith life in order to allow the missionary fires to be enkindled within you. If you have not been on a DeColores retreat, I encourage you to do so. In full disclosure, I have not been on one, but from what I understand, they are similar to the ACTS retreats we have in Saint Louis. Therefore, I am very confident in saying the DeColores retreat can be a very powerful encounter with Jesus Christ through the sacramental life. A true booster shot of Truth that can enkindle the missionary fires of your life, just as the missionary fires were enkindled in the life of Saint Thomas.
Once you are set aflame, you can spread that Flame of Love to others. Of course, that starts first and foremost with prayer. Ask the Holy Spirit to reveal who He wants you to evangelize to. Pray a novena for that person and pray for that person during Mass. When Father holds up the Eucharist during consecration, pray, “My Lord and my God, please grant the grace of conversion for so and so.”
Then meet that person where they are. Ultimately the work of conversion is not our own, it is the work of the Holy Spirit. And, conversions rarely happen in a single conversation, it happens over time. So, we simply need to meet the person where they are, foster an authentic friendship with them, build trust, and as the trust develops give them opportunities to hear the Truth while leading them into an authentic encounter with Love.
When we give them opportunities to hear the Truth, we do not have to lecture or do any of the things that might often come to mind when we think of evangelization. We can simply invite friends over for dinner and to watch a movie on Formed. EWTN on Demand also has some great content, including a series called the “Lamb’s Supper” and another series called the “Fourth Cup”. I share both of these with others all the time.
When I share these things, it may not always end in conversion, but it almost always gives them spiritual food for thought. I trust the Holy Spirit can take it from there. The Lord who made heaven and earth can certainly soften the most hardened heart and bring them to conversion.
We must remember, evangelization does not have to be a big scary thing. It can just be part of what we do in normal friendships.
As Pope Saint John Paul II would say, “Be not afraid!” Only the Catholic Church is the pillar and foundation of Truth, at least according to Scripture. As long as you are living consistently within the teaching of the Catholic Church and sharing values and content that aligns with that Truth, you can never be wrong. How amazingly powerful is that thought? When you authentically speak the Catholic Faith, you can never be wrong.
That does not mean they are going to automatically believe you. Just remember, when they reject you, who are they really rejecting? That’s right, they are rejecting Him. That too is a powerful thought. Because if we are being honest, most of us fear rejection. And, that is probably the biggest thing that holds us back from being true missionary disciples. Right? In this moment, we thank you Jesus for taking on this rejection and for allowing us to participate in your rejection.
The original question remains: When the Son of Man comes, will he find faith on earth? The answer largely depends on us. Thank you for financially supporting world missions. Thank you for taking your faith seriously and allowing yourself to be enkindled by the Flame of Love. And thank you for spreading the Flame of Love to others through authentic relationships.
Always remember that our help as missionary disciples is from the Lord, who made heaven and earth.
Thanks be to God!
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